you can only have one best friend
by emma4713
Summary: Santana liked Brittany. Kelsey didn't.  can be read as stand alone, but really a sequel to Kraft Macaroni and Philadelphia Cream Cheese.


**Title:** you can only have one best friend  
><strong>Fandom:<strong> Glee  
><strong>CharactersPairing:** Santana Lopez, Brittany Pierce, OFC, friendship, pre-Brittana  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PGish  
><strong>Spoilers:<strong> None, preseries  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Santana liked Brittany. Kelsey didn't.  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> The characters are not mine (except Kelsey). The words are.  
><strong>AN:** Can be read as a stand alone, though it is the second part in what I like to call my Macaroni and Cheese verse. First part: Kraft Macaroni and Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

* * *

><p>Santana liked Brittany. The blonde was a little different, but Santana liked that.<p>

Kelsey didn't.

Kelsey didn't like anything about Brittany. Santana was queen of sixth grade, but Kelsey was supposed to be second-in-command. She _was_ second-in-command until Brittany came along. It wasn't that the blonde completely replaced her, but she had definitely infringed on her territory. Santana still called Kelsey her best friend, but she and Brittany whispered and passed notes in class and giggled in the hallways. She used to only do those things with Kelsey. Brittany came to their sleepovers, too, and more than once Kelsey even caught the other two talking about a sleepover they had without her.

Santana knew Kelsey was getting jealous, but she honestly didn't care. Kelsey always tried too hard to be like Santana. She flipped her hair the way Santana did and smirked the way Santana did and they even had some of the same clothes. But Brittany, everything about her was different. She was bright in all the ways Santana was dark—blonde and smiles instead of smirks. Kelsey _tried_ to be mean and Santana was mean when she had to be, but Brittany was never intentionally mean. She just said what she thought, and while sometimes it hurt people's feelings, she never _meant_ to. And she certainly was never mean to impress Santana, like Kelsey was sometimes.

Brittany never did anything just to impress Santana, really. She just did what she did, was who she was, and didn't change for anyone. Santana loved that about her. So she didn't care if Kelsey scowled when they didn't invite her to sleepovers; she wasn't going to stop hanging out with Britt. Really, the sleepovers with just the two of them were basically the best thing ever.

They had one on a Saturday night that was so fun they were still giggling about it Monday. They watched old Pink Panther movies and Brittany wouldn't stop calling Santana her little yellow friend, even though the brunette told her that not only was it racist, but it was also about Asians, not Latinas. Brittany just did it because it made Santana all mock outraged and that always ended in giggles. Brittany loved Santana's laugh.

Kelsey pouted all the way through their first class together. They were assigned a three-person project, the groups to be announced the next day. Santana and Brittany looked at each other and giggled and Kelsey didn't even _want_ to be in a group with them. Brittany wasn't any good at history anyway.

All through gym class Santana and Brittany were still inseparable, and Brittany wouldn't shut up about how she hoped they were partners like they had been for that Inca project.

"Really, San," Brittany said as they changed out of their gym clothes. Kelsey rolled her eyes—Brittany was the only one allowed to call Santana that. "Not only was it awesome being partners with you, plus now my mom makes better mac and cheese, but also that was like my best grade ever."

Kelsey snorted out a laugh. "Surprise."

Brittany pulled her shirt over her head and turned to Kelsey. "What do you mean?"

The other girl scoffed. "Are you really surprised you get better grades when you're partnered with someone?"

The blonde didn't understand, which was totally proving Kelsey's point.

"Shut up," Santana said through clenched teeth.

"I'm surprised Santana would even want to be your partner."

Brittany's brow furrowed even more and she looked desperately at her best friend.

"Of course, I want to be your partner, Britts," Santana said, pulling on her backpack.

"But Santana," Kelsey said, "She's _dumb_."

That was when Santana lost it. Before anyone could do anything, Kelsey had a black eye, a bloody nose, and a busted lip.

Even Santana was surprised. She didn't show it though, instead, she cast a glare around the locker room.

"Anyone else want to say anything about Brittany?"

No one responded.

"Didn't think so," Santana smirked. "Now, Kels, how'd you hurt your face?"

Kelsey was pinching her nose to stop the bleeding, her eyes still wide and fearful. "I tripped."

"Right. You should be more careful."

With that, Santana grabbed Brittany by the hand and pulled her from the locker room.

"Oh my God, that was crazy!" she laughed.

Except Brittany did not look amused. In fact, her eyes were almost as wide as Kelsey's, and they brimmed with tears.

"San, that was really scary. You got so mad."

"No, B, no," she said, wrapping her arms around the other girl. "Don't be afraid. That's why I did that—so you have nothing to be afraid of."

Brittany hugged her tight and Santana didn't even mind that she could feel the blonde's running nose on her neck.

"You'll never do that to me, will you?" she cried. "You'll never hit me?"

Santana pulled back. She took Brittany's face in both hands. She never would have touched anyone else like this, but she learned from the beginning that Brittany was a cuddler, a sucker for physical contact. "Listen, Brittany, I will _never_ hurt you. I promise. Not ever. And if that scared you I won't do it again, either. I just want my best friend to be happy."

Brittany gave her a water smile. "Best friend?"

They had agreed to be best friends that first day they worked on the Inca project, but Santana had never called her it before.

"Of course," she said. "Who else is cool enough for me?"

"No one, duh," Brittany said. "I'm not stupid."

The brunette beamed. "Damn straight."


End file.
